Improvement in picture-exhibitors



H. J. BOWMAN `apA. STULL.

PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITORS.

N 184 753 'flPatented Nov.28,1876.

STATES PATENT 7 rr i HEZEKIAH J. BOWMAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIOAND ADAM STULL, OF

' EL PASO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PICTURE-EXHIBI T ORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 184,?53, daged November 28, 1876; application filed Aprl 10, 1876.

To all whom ?It may concern:

Be it known that we, HEZEKIAH J. BOW- MAN, ot' Cleveland, county of Guyahoga, State of Ohio, and ADAM STULL, of El Paso, county of Woodford, and State of Illinois, have invented an Automatic Album, of which the followin g is a specification:

This invention relates to a device for holding and exhibiting photographs; and consists. of a box having arranged within it a series of plates, to both sides of which may be attached card photographs or pictures, said plates sliding in grooves in the ends of the box, and which are made' to rise by means of springarms Secured in the bottom of the box, for exposing them to View. When pushed down into the box, they are held down by springlatches at either end of the plates, The cover is provided with a mirror for viewing the pictures on the rear side of the plates.

To enable others to fully understand our invention, we proceed to describe the same in detail with the aid of the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the said invention.

A represents a box, which may be made of any suitable material and style which taste would dictate. In the drawing the front side is represented broken out for the' purpose of showing the interior parts. B B are plates, of metal or other suitable material, which are fitted to slide in grooves b in the inside surfaces of the ends of the box A. The upper and lower edges of said plates are provided with metal bands c c, which clasp or embrace the edges, which serve to hold the pictures C and to stiffen the plates. The top bands may be made in sections and riveted at one end, for the convenience of inserting the pictures. D D are arms, having springs d d on their lower ends, which are Secured to the bottom of the box A. These arms are for the purpose of throwing the plates up. The lower edges of the plates have two looks, e e, in

which the 'ends of the arms catch, which limit the throwing of the plates to the upper edge of the box only, where the plates will stand, exposing the pictures to full View. In the ends of the box are placed spring-catches ff, for holding the plates down in the box when they are pushed down by catching onto the upper edges thereof. The front face of the first plate may be used for anindex. Upon the insidefacc of the cover H is placed a mirror, I, the purpose of which is that the pictures on the rear sides of the plates maybe seen by reflection. v

This makes a neat receptacle fo'r pictures, whereby they are kept clean, and is very convenient for the 'purpose for which it is designed.

The manner of Operating this is as follows: By releasing the plates from the catches at the corners they fly up by the force of the springs. To return them it is only necessary to push them down, when the spring-catches will retain them.

Having described our invention, we claim- The herein-described picture-album, consisting of the box A, plates B B, having bands c c for holding pictures 0, and the hooks e e, the arms D D, attaehed to the spriugs d (Z, the spring-catches f f, the cover H, having the mirror I, all constructed, combined, and arranged to operate substantially as shown and described.

H. J. BOWMAN.

ADAM STULL. Witnesses:

GEO. W. TIBBITTS,

F. W. GADWELL. 

